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Friday, November 27, 2009

Just popping in... Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday break. I've been interviewed by the fabulous Fatin over at Novel Thoughts today. Stop by and comment to win a signed copy of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Hey, that's my book up there! This one was taken by the incredibly talented author, Diana Rowland, whom I now love and adore.

This morning, I went to the Barnes & Noble in Cary, NC, met the awesome folks there, and signed stock. Was a little nervous, but not nearly as stressed as I'd been earlier this week. The book is out there, and now I feel like I can breathe and enjoy it. Everyone was so nice and receptive. We talked about the book, signings, and the genre.

And the very wonderful and lovely Sonja Foust took this pic and sent it this morning. It tickles me to no end! And I now love and adore her too. :D

I ate a McDonald's to celebrate. :D Tonight, however, I shall dine on ribeye...

And Happy Release Day to Kelly Meding. Our fantastic giveaway has now come to an end. And the winner of the $100 Amazon gift card is . . .

. . .via Kelly Meding:

All of the entries have been collected (more than 85 total). Many of them were repeats--smart folks who participated in multiple ways. All entries were tossed into a hat (okay, not really a hat, it's a large glass jar), shaken and shimmied about to ensure proper mixing. And the winner is.....

jeanette8042 For her comment on the Charlie Madigan Interview posted on Organized Chaos! Email me your information [mail (at) kellymeding.com] and we'll get that Amazon gift card out to you! Congratulations, and thank you everyone for playing along!!!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

I'm over at the fantastic Deadline Dames today talking about pre-release jitters and fear. This was a hard post to write, hard because I'm letting it all hang out -- giving a honest look about how it feels to have your first book come out. Oh, and I'm giving away CHOCOLATE!!

Friday, November 20, 2009

I'm over at Fantasy Dreamers Ramblings, a most excellent book review & news site, talking a little about me, THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, and answering a few questions on my new YA series. I'll be stopping by through out the day as well, so if you have any questions, make sure to comment and I'll answer!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Sorry about the mistake in drawing times. For some reason I had on my datebook Thurs/Fri v. Wed./Thur. Weird. But anyway, via random drawing, the winner of autographed copies of THREE DAYS TO DEAD by Kelly Meding and THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS by moi, and two mystery books -- that's a whopping total of four books is . . .

Dee

Yay! Just send me a mailing address and how you want the books signed (to you, to a friend, etc...) at kelly(at)kellygay.net and we'll get these shipped out!

Thanks to everyone for entering! Remember, you all are entered into our $100 giveaway just for commenting, so stayed tuned for next week's grandprize drawing!

1) Talking about writing with kids over at Mama Writers today. This was a fun post to write!

2) Will be drawing for the winner of the Evy Stone/Charlie Madigan interview later today. I made a mistake! Ack! And because of that CONTEST WILL CLOSE at 4P.M. Sorry for the confusion, was supposed to close it yesterday and pick winner today!

3) Still unsure about whether to read Charlie's story? Donna over at Fantasy Dreamers Rambling gives a little insight into the book, the characters, and her reading experience. :D

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I'm at Shy Writers talking about one of my greatest fears. It's a bit of a personal post, but I think the subject is something others writers might be able to relate to. Thanks to fellow Pixie Chick, Becky for hosting me!

So those who have been following along for a while might remember me discussing, here and there, 'Le Super Secret YA' project I'd been working on.

It sold to Simon Pulse in a two-book deal, and they'll release as hardcovers. I'm enormously happy to be staying at Simon & Schuster. Pulse publishes some amazing books, and I still can't believe I'm going to be part of their list soon. As some may know, I've been writing teen characters for several years, so this is a genre that I adore reading and writing. Yay! I've already had a chance to speak with my new editor, Emilia, who is incredibly nice and loves this dark, creepy story as much as I do, and big thanks go to my agent, Miriam Kriss, with whom I hooked up with back in August.

I'll be writing under the name 'Kelly Keaton', which, if any remember, is the surname of my grandmother who passed away last year, and whom I blogged about as being one of my biggest supporters and who instilled in me a love of all things fantastical. I'm so happy to bear her name in this way.

Here are the Book details via Publisher's Marketplace:

Kelly Gay writing as Kelly Keaton's DARKNESS BECOMES HER, (GODS & MONSTERS, Book 1), in which a hardened teen on the run searches for the truth about her monstrous heritage with a group of misfit kids in a post-apocalyptic New Orleans, a city state now run by the creatures of the night, to Emilia Rhodes at Simon Pulse, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2011, by Miriam Kriss at the Irene Goodman Agency (World). I'll be talking a bit more about this book during my interview at Fantasy Dreamers Ramblings on Friday, Nov. 20th.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

OY. One week before my debut comes out. One. Week. And really that's all I can say; here, let me say it again with a big sigh: OY. Worried, excited, nervous...you name it. Did I say worried. Oh my God, I want this book to do okay... Spent all weekend and yesterday:

--Mailed out bookmarks, coverflats, and ARCs.--Wrote two guest blog posts.--Completed another interview.--Worked on revisions for Book 2, which are due soon.--Worked on the evite to all my local friends to tell them about my booksigning.

It's CRAZY here. Not to mention the fact that some big, big news landed in my lap last week... (More to come on that later).

So anyway, this is the last week before release, the last big push to let folks know the book exists. A ton of people have helped spread the word, and I'm totally indebted and very humbled. You all ROCK. Let's keep the momentum going. Last week to go!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

MADE A MISTAKE IN TWITTER ANNOUNCEMENT EARLIER. CONTEST CLOSES IN 4 MIN. AT 4pM. WAS SUPPOSED TO CLOSE IT YESTERDAY & DRAW WINNER TODAY... SO DUE OT MY MISTAKE WILL KEEP IT OPEN FOR ANOTHER 3 MINUTES... REALLY SORRY!

Charlie Madigan here. It's not often I get to take a break from patrolling the dark city of Atlanta, but, damn, did I ever need one. Thank God Kelly asked me to do this because I actually got to sleep-in this morning. For once. And bigger bonus -- I get to sit down, kick back, and chat with another woman who understands the delicate art of kicking ass.

I introduce to you, Evangeline Stone, expert in blades, dispenser of justice, and learning how to live -- incredibly -- in a body not her own. Evy's story was recorded by Kelly Meding in the book, THREE DAYS TO DEAD: (Oh, and make sure to read to the end to enter a giveaway for a bunch of books!)

She’s young, deadly, and hunted—with only three days to solve her own murder…When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue – in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there – her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night, she and the other two members of her Triad were star bounty hunters — mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives, but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor . . . and she can’t even remember what it was.Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice – and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days, Evy will die again – but this time, there’s no second chance…

* * *

C: Hi, Evy. It's so cool to meet you. I've read your story, (and besides realizing we have a lot in common), I'm full of questions, so let's get started:

I think we both can appreciate a good, challenging fight. If you had to choose from vamp, goblin, or faeries (each of equal fighting skill level) to take on gladiator style, which would it be and why?

E: Gladiator-style? Feels like I'm re-living Boot Camp graduation all over again, only with a Dreg. Okay, um…well, I'd be stupider than dirt to pick a fight with a faerie—small or not, they are sadistic little bastards when they put their minds to it. Wyatt will back me up on that. And the full-Blood vampires are way stronger than humans, which is why we never serve warrants on them alone—full Triad only for Bloods. I'd say goblin. Not only for the chance to excise some personal issues stemming from being, you know, kidnapped and tortured to death by a goblin, but it's always a fun fight. Goblins are short, but they're f***ing scrappy and fast. And goblin bites aren't fatal, like a Blood bite. Well, unless they tear out an artery or something, then it's obviously fatal.

C: I hear you’ve gotten into some pretty nasty situations: that whole troll thing – eww! Not a question. Just sayin’.

E: Yeah, that goes on the record as being something I've never done before, and I will never, ever do again. Okay, maybe I won't so absolutely never, because it did save our lives, but… *shudders*

C: So how are Pat and Dr. Thomas doing after seeing the dead rise in the morgue? Have you talked to them since scaring the living daylights out of them? Please tell me they’re not in therapy now.

E: I'll probably have to make it my business to stay as far away from that hospital as possible, just to avoid running into them. I mean, I didn't intend to freak them both out, and I have no f***ing idea how they're coping. Most people, when faced with something that can't possibly have happened to them—such as seeing a previously cold, dead body walk over and start talking to them—exist in a state of denial. They convince themselves they didn't actually see what they saw. At least, I hope they're in denial.

And I've been pretty lucky so far, to have only run into one other person, besides Alex, who knew the dead girl whose body I've possessed. And I brushed him off pretty easy. I have enough to deal with as it is without old friends coming out of the woodwork. Plus, I'm pretty sure her parents are still alive somewhere. Shit.

C: Anything you can tell us about the Owlkins? The loss of their clan was so devastating. Are the rumors of survivors really true?

E: Your guess is as good as mine, but there have to be survivors. I mean, sure, they all lived in the same apartment complex, and maybe it was at night when the attack happened and a lot of them were home or asleep, but…. Someone had to have been out, or away, or just not there.

The Owlkins themselves, or at least the few I knew, were…um, cautiously nice. They were one of the neutral Clans. They didn't bother humans, so we Triads never had to bother them back. They just didn't deserve to be slaughtered like that, and I'm kind of amazed the Assembly of Clan Elders hasn't taken the Triads to task for it. Then again, I've sort of been out of the loop for a while with the being dead thing, so I don't know. Maybe they have. Or maybe that particular shit just hasn't hit the proverbial fan yet.

C: You’ve had a pretty tough childhood, orphaned at ten, living on the streets… Can you tell us how you came to be orphaned? Any desire to locate family?

E: In some ways, I was an orphan long before my mother died. I pretty much took care of myself from the age of eight, after my mom married my stepdad, Ron, and they both fell head over heels in love with heroin. I got myself up, fed myself when there was food in the house, stole it when there wasn't, went to school, signed my own test papers, and did my own laundry. Ron left just after I turned ten and took his heroin with him. Mom lost her job, sold herself for drugs, and forgot she had a kid—if she hadn't forgotten already. Then one day she disappeared. Her body was found a week later, but it was another week before she was identified. Jane Doe hookers aren't big priorities for the cops. A social worker and a cop picked me up from school the day after and told me she was dead. I didn't have anyone to take me, so I went into the system.

And quite frankly? My only family died when my partners, Jesse and Ash, died. Blood doesn't make someone family. I don't know who my natural father is, and I don't give a rat's ass. He knocked up my mom when she was fifteen and skipped town, and he's not a f***ing factor in my life. Most of the kids I knew in foster care, in Juvie, and in the Triads, we didn't have mothers who loved us or fathers who cared. In the Triads, all we have is each other. *thoughtfully* Your daughter's really lucky, Charlie.

C: Your training in Boot camp to become a Dreg Bounty Hunter sounds like a ‘Do or Die’ kind of situation. Can you tell us a little about what Boot camp was like?

E: You know that television show, Survivor? Kind of like that, only with kids, martial arts, weapons training, and death. No one goes in to Boot Camp with any idea of what it's really going to be like. I sure as hell didn't. But most of us are facing Boot Camp or real, adult jail sentences, so Boot Camp becomes an easy damned choice. Especially when Bastian, the man who recruits you, is blond-haired, blue-eyed, and handsome as a movie star. He looks so f***ing harmless, how bad can it be, right? *snorts*

In six months, you are constantly beaten down, beaten up, taken apart, and reassembled into the perfect killing machine. We learn how to fight with our hands, with different weapons; we're taught how to take one Dreg's strength and use it against them. I'd guess it isn't all that different from the military, with one big exception—only half of us ever graduate. And the half that doesn't graduate isn't sent home or drummed out—their bodies are cremated. It was the only final exam I ever took where failing meant being killed by my opponent. But we can't effectively do our jobs as Hunters if we're the very best, and that means killing off the weakest links.

*thoughtful again* I've never forgotten the name or face of the girl I killed to graduate. I doubt any of us do.

C: So the whole dying and resurrecting thing can really do a number on you, huh? I’m still getting used to the ‘new’ me. How are you coping?E: *snorts* At least your "new" you is still physically the old you. Do you know how frustrating it is to know how to do a spinning roundhouse in your head, but be unable to get your f***ing body to actually, you know, do the damned roundhouse? The knowledge is there, but Chalice—she's the former tenant—wasn't much a fighter. Or all that graceful, I don't think. And did I mention the attraction thing? She's got all this intense sexual attraction to Wyatt, who is my boss and someone I care a lot about, but I've never been attracted to him that way. Until now, and I have no idea how to deal with it. Resurrection should come with a User Manual. Seriously!

And you had a support system in place. I woke up with almost everyone I knew thinking I was a murderer and a traitor. Thank God for Wyatt. Of course, I wouldn't have come back at all if not for him, and I still can't figure out if I want to thank him or thump his ass for that. *sigh* I need a vacation….

C: Yeah, me too. Shit. *sitting down coffee* Hold on a sec, Evy. This damn phone... *reads text message* Goddamn it! Rex let the hellhound out of the kennel again and now Spooky, our cat, is stuck on the roof. *stands* I swear, living with a Revenant is harder than dealing with a toddler.... Thanks for chatting with me, though. We'll have to do this again some time!

* * *

Okay, folks -- Kelly here... So, all you have to do is comment here and your entered to win a sign copy of THREE DAYS TO DEAD, a signed copy of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, and a random book of my choosing (and every person who comments will be entered into our $100 grandprize giveaway!). Not only will the randomly selected winner here win three books, but they'll also gain and extra entry into our $100 Grandprize giveaway.

(This contest is open until Wednesday, November 18th, and the winners will be announced on the 19th.)

Want a second chance to win? Head on over to Kelly Meding's blog to check out Charlie Madigan's interview with Evy Stone!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Today is a breath of fresh air. No 'Where is Kelly' today. It's 'Where are My Writer Pals', Michael Jasper and Niki Smith. They have a seriously cool online comic IN MAPS & LEGENDS, and they're running a pretty sweet contest. So if you love comics, great stories, and awesome art, please check it out! Here's their info:

The first 8 pages of the online comic IN MAPS & LEGENDS is live at DC Comics' Zuda site: http://www.zudacomics.com/node/1540 For the month of November, our comic is part of an "American Idol"-style competition, where readers vote on their favorite comic out of the 10 comics on the site. In addition to voting, you can also help by clicking the stars (five stars is best), and clicking the "Add to Favorites" button as well. Further, you can add a comment in the comments section at the bottom of the page. And if you're really ambitious, you can add a graphic and a link to the comic to your website, blog, or Facebook page: http://www.zudacomics.com/competition/support (scroll down to get to our graphic). The winner gets a one-year contract with DC Comics to write the next 52 pages of their comic. We're really hoping to make that happen! But it can only happen with your votes, favorites, comments, and stars. So vote away, and tell your friends! We also have a contest running where a randomly selected person who leaves a comment on the comic's page can get a chance to name one of the villains in our comic: http://michaeljasper.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/comics-comment-contest-name-that-villain/How to register and vote for IN MAPS & LEGENDS:-If you haven't already done so, register at Zuda by clicking the Sign Up link in the upper right-hand corner of the page.-Verify the account via your email.-Sign into ZudaComics.com with your new user name and password.-Select IN MAPS & LEGENDS.-Read the comic!-To the right of the comic, please click the VOTE button, then rate the comic (five stars if you liked it) and also click Add as favorite. The vote is by far the most important of these three things, but every little bit helps.-Down below, add a comment to be considered in the villain-naming contest! Contest ends Friday the 13th at 5 p.m. EST. You can comment as often as you like.Have your family members and friends do the same before the end of November.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Saw that DEOD ('cus, yes, I'm too lazy to type it out) made it up on Amazon, usa. And now there are two books listed under my name, which is exceedingly cool. For some reason that makes me feel very productive, and very real. Further validated in some ways. I guess, I'm still not used to the whole author identity. Most of the time I feel like this: "Hi, my name is Kelly, and I am an author. . . . No really. I am. Seriously." ;-) Like I need to convince people (or maybe myself). But, I suppose it'll settle in soon enough...

Anyway, seeing it up there gives me chills and inspiration. And it makes me want to work on the revisions some more, so I'm getting off the Internets and back to work!

Monday, November 09, 2009

The very kind Rebecca has posted an interview with me today at her blog, Number One Novels. It's a very cool collection of interviews from first-time authors, so please stop by and check it out. And there's a copy of The Better Part of Darkness up for grabs, too.

EDITED TO ADD: You'll also find me over at The League of Reluctant Adults, today. If you have some time, comment and let me know how you liked the interview!

Also, today is the last day to enter the 2 Kelly's Quiz over at Enchanted By Books. The winner will be announced tomorrow. Remember entering could get you $100 in our grandprize giveaway!

The Bad:

I'm sick. As in, breathing is hard, my voice comes and goes, and I'm exhausted. Not fun. I'm a little behind on a few things. If I owe you an email or something else, please send me a reminder -- my brain is tired. :-/

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Got outed by Amazon Canada (thanks Tez for the head's up!), so I can share. Book 2 shall henceforth be known as:

The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Aug. 31, 2010)

And now that I have the final copy of BPOD, I can also tell you that you'll find an excerpt of 'Darkest Edge' in the back of that beautiful book -- even more reason to go out and pick up a copy, right? Right? ;-)

Friday, November 06, 2009

Yesterday was out of this world. Found an envelope containing some of my author copies of BPOD on my doorstep when I got home from the doctor's (have a nasty, achy cold and keep losing my voice). No one around. Just me. And my reaction was a pretty quiet one. No screaming or crying. Just sat at the kitchen table and stared at them for a long time. Obviously, not shocked or surprised because I know what the cover looks like, and I've had ARCs for months. So that part of it wasn't what had me staring... It was the realization that this is real. This is it. The book is done. And very shortly it'll make it's way out into the world. And into one of my favorite places on earth -- the almighty bookstore.

If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say seeing the book on the shelf in a store...that's when I'll probably get weak in the knees and have to sit down right there in the aisle and shed a few tears. :-)

Also had a wonderful conversation with my editor, which made me want to jump through the phone and give him a big ole hug. He gives me too much credit and downplays his contribution to this book. Without his belief, insight, direction, and input, this book would be nowhere near what is has become. So, you know, gotta give props to him, and to the entire team at Pocket and S&S -- they have been an amazing bunch of people to work with!

Okay, moving on from the sappiness to some contest deadline reminders for ya:

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Literary Escapism has a few snippets of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS up for Teaser Tuesday. If you want a sneak peek into the book, please check it out. The snippets are from two scenes that I really enjoyed writing, so I'm thrilled that they're up for folks to read.

Hooked on Romance is hosting me today. There'll be a giveaway and interview up and I'll be stopping by occassionally to check in and comment or to answer any questions...

And, I'm very excited to report that I've scheduled my first book signing at Barnes & Nobles in The Streets at South Point Mall, in Durham, NC. December 4th, 2009. 7:30 P.M. It's a gorgeous store, and the CRM there is incredibly nice, so I'm really looking forward to meeting the folks there and signing some books!

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Yesterday evening, I got one of the coolest emails from my editor. A picture of BPOD -- the final book -- hot off the presses. *Squee!* My copies will be here shortly, but until then feast your eyes upon the loveliness:

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Kelly Meding and I are over at Rachael's blog, Enchanted by Books today. There are ten statements. Just match them to the correct Kelly and you'll have a chance to win some great prizes! So, go on over and see how well you know us!

We have some great things in store for you! Please join us November 3rd for our Two Kelly’s Quiz at ENCHANTED BY BOOKS, and match the statements to the correct Kelly to win some amazing prizes! And join us again on November 12th for a double interview at our blogs where Evy Stone and Charlie Madigan interview each other! These gals have a lot to say, so don’t miss it (and the chance to win more freebies!).

The GRAND PRIZE giveaway starts now, November 1st and ends November 23rd at noon, Eastern Standard Time. You'll have multiple chances to enter the drawing for the $100 Amazon gift card.

Here’s how:

1) Just comment at any of our events mentioned above and you’re automatically entered. Please note: One comment at one event will gain you one entry. For example: Comment at all three events (the Quiz, the Evy Stone Interview & the Charlie Madigan Interview) and not only are you entered to win those prizes, but now you’re entered THREE times in the GRAND PRIZE giveaway. (And, no, multiple commenting at each event will not gain you extra entries). So that's three chances right there!

2) Folks who do not plan on automatically entering by commenting at our events, may enter by sending an ‘ENTER ME!’ email to Kelly Meding's email address: mail (at) kellymeding.com. One email only, and please use the subject line "ENTER ME!" or your entry may get lost in the Spam Folder (and we don't want that). Please note: If you choose to participate in option #1, you can still enter this way, too. And we do encourage you to choose option #1 and play along with us!

3) Additionally, we want to say a special thanks to those folks who pre-order our books. So, if anyone has pre-ordered at any time, up to November 23rd, please send proof of purchase (scanned or screencapped image of online pre-order confirmation, scanned or photographed in-store receipt [with all private info smudged out, of course]) to: mail (at) kellymeding.com with the subject line "PRE-ORDER." Pre-order proof of one of our books gains you 5 entries. Pre-order proof of both books will gain you 10 entries in the GRAND PRIZE giveaway. (You are also free to enter via Rules #1 & #2). Please note: The GRAND PRIZE giveaway does not require purchase to enter. This rule is merely a way for us to give big, sloppy "Thank you!" kisses to those of you who have or will purchase our books. Both books do not have to have been pre-ordered at the same time; separate confirmation is fine.

Everyone with us so far?

Awesome!And guess what? Follow along and participate in our events and you might just win some additional entries in our grand prize!

Please help us spread the word by Tweeting and blogging the 2K Event, and feel free to use the above contest graphic.We'll see you Tuesday at ENCHANTED BY BOOKS!!!